Method and apparatus for photocomposing



June 1965 G. D. POTTER ETAL 3,186,097

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PHOTOCOMPOSING 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 8, 1960 June 1965 G. D. POTTER ETAL 3,185,097

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PHOTOCOMPOSING Filed Aug. '8, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

i N V E N "5' 413* R35 (SALE/V 0, PO 7 TEA 14". 7' HUM/15 PE TERSON June I, 1965 G. D. POTTER ETAL Filed Aug. 8. 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 l V M 4217 F 1 I L: Il a? mF HI u I I 0 2 3 i4? 6/ 6/ "H544,

I 60 so FiG.3

INVE N TORS GALEN D.POT7'ER W. THOMAS PETERSON MW ATTORNEYS June 1965 G. D. POTTEVR ETAL 3,186,097

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PHOTOCOMPOSING Filed Aug. 8, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 4-

58 Ems; aim i /I/I/I I l/W FIG. 5 v 9a Li I I I I I I I I 7 I INVENTORS GALEMD.POT7'ER W. THOMAS PETERSON ATTORNEYS J1me 1965 G. D. POTTER ETAL 3,186,097

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PHOTOCOMPOSING Filed Aug. 8. 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 7

INVENTORS GALEM'QPOTTER W. THOMAS PETERSON BY M-a/Zb! ATTORNEYS United States Patent Of This invention relates to photocomposing and more specifically to improvement in photocomposing apparatus and improvement in the method of operating photocomposing apparatus. A portion of this method of the invention relates to improvement in the method of preparing films for use in the photocomposing apparatus of the invention.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide improvements in the method of and apparatus for photocomposing whereby exacting photocomposing operation can be performed and repeated with maximum elficiency.

It is another object of this invention to provide such improvements in the method and apparatus for photocomposing whereby the rate at which work can be performed with a photocornposing machine is substantially increased.

It is another object of this invention to provide improvements in the method and apparatus for photocomposing whereby heavy manual operations may be eliminated and the exacting operations of film registry may be performed under ideal conditions.

It is another principal object of the invention to rovide improvements in the method and apparatus for photocomposing whereby the above-identified advantages may be obtained without impairing the extreme accuracy obtainable with photocomposing machines available on the market at the present time.

It is another object of this invention to provide improvements in the method and apparatus for utilizing the commercial photocomposing machine whereby the above enumerated advantages may be obtained while still permitting the occasional use of the machine in the manner in which it was employed prior to this invention.

It is a specific object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for forming accurately positioned film registry apertures in a film to be used in a photocomposing machine and to provide registry pins on conventional photocomposing machines for engaging the filth apertures and supporting the film in a flat condition during operation of the machine.

It is another specific object of this invention to provide such registry pins on the film holder employed on conventional photocomposing machines so that films may be supported as accurately in a fiat condition as they have been supported by prior art tedious methods. It is another object of the invention to provide means for pivotally and removably mounting the film holder on the machine so that the film holder may be employed as a work table in the practice of this invention and may still be used according to the prior art method for which it was designed.

It is another object of this invention to provide permanent registry apertures in a film to be used in a photocomposing machine whereby the exacting operation of registering a film with similar films need be performed only once regardless of the number of times the films are used in the photocomposing machine.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus, whereby the exacting operation of the positioning of the registery apertures in the film may be performedseparately from the photocomposing machine so that machine is not occupied during this Opera- Patented June 1, .1965

ICC

tion and so that this operation can be performed under ideal working conditions.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus in which the registry pins are arranged in the film holder and the registry apertures are arranged in the film in such a way that the film will be placed in the film holder in only one position.

it is a further object of the invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for forming the registry apertures in the film which will insure maximum accuracy in the positioning of the apertures with respect to each other and which will permit the greatest simplicity in providing film registry between the similar films of a group.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a method and apparatus for film registry in which the registry of a plurality of similar films can be assured while permitting free selection of the portion of the film to be located in the center of the film holder and free selection of the orientation of that portion of the film with respect to the film holder.

It is another specific object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for film registry in which one film of a group of similar films, for instance the group of similar films employed to reproduce the individual colors of a multi-color print, may be provided with registered apertures in any desired orientation with respect to the film, and the remainder of the films in the group may be registered directly from the first film to be provided with registry apertures.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a commercial photocomposing machine available on the market and modified in accordance with the principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the film holder on the photocomposing machine of FIG. 1, illustrating the film holder in its horizontal position and in phantom outline in its vertical position;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the film supporting face of the film holder illustrated in FIG. 2 showing a film positioned in place for operation of the photocomposing machine;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a registry member employed for positioning registry apertures in a film;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the elements of FIG. 4 taken in vertical section through the elements of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a film provided with registry apertures in accordance with this invention, and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of apparatus employed in the method of forming registry apertures in the film.

Broadly stated, the apparatus of this invention comprises: in aphotocomposing machine having a frame adapted to support a photosensitive sheet to be exposed, a film holder mountable on said frame and having a generally flat face thereof adjacent to said sheet and adapted to support a film through which said sheet is to be ex posed, and means for adjustably positioning said sheet and said film holder with respect to each other, the improved means for accurately positioning a film in said film holder comprising a plurality of pins carried by said film holder arranged in a predetermined orientation on said face of said film holder and positioned to receive a similarly oriented plurality of apertures in a film.

Also broadly stated, the method of operating the apparatus of this invention comprises: in the method of operating a photocomposing machine in which a photosensitive sheet is supported by a frame; a film holder is mountable on said frame and provided with a generally flat face thereof adjacent to said sheet, and means are provided for adjustably positioning said sheet and film holder with respect to each other, the improved method of positioning a film (including a photographic transparency and any mounting fiaps thereon) in said film holder which comprises: providing a plurality of pins carried by said face of said film holder and positioned accurately in a predetermined orientation, forming a plurality of registry apertures in said film accurately positioned in the same predetermined orientation, and placing said film on said face of said film holder with said pins received in said apertures.

Referring now in detail to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, one of the commercial photocomposing machines to which this invention is particularly well adapted is illustrated therein and comprises: a main frame carrying a horizontally movable frame 11 on the interior of which is mounted a photosensitive sheet which is to be exposed through a large number of small films, each of the films being positioned over a particular local area of the photosensitive sheet when the sheet is exposed through that film. Adjusting means 12 are provided for moving the frame 11 horizontally with respect to the frame 16. An upper frame portion 14 is mounted on the frame 16 and carries a film holder 16 and adjusting means 18 for moving the film holder 16 vertically with respect to the frame 10.

The adjusting means 12 and 11$ are provided with suitable calibrated dials to facilitate positioning of the film holder 16 over any desired predetermined local area of the photosensitive sheet. A light source 20 is mounted for swinging movement on an arm 22 which is carried by the upper frame 14; the light source 20 provides convenient illuminating means for exposing the photosensitive sheet through a film positioned in the film holder.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 the film holder is provided with an attachment conduit 24 to which a suitable vacuum line 25 may be attached for evacuating the air from inside the film holder while the photosensitive sheet is being exposed. The film holder is also provided with a pair of registry pin sockets 26 on the face thereof which are employed in accordance with the prior art method of photocomposing. The sockets are accurately positioned by positioning means 28.

In accordance with this prior art method, the film holder is removed from the photocomposing machine and placed on a film registry device, with the pin sockets 26 receiving suitable pins for positioning the film holder exactly over a screen on the registry device. As is well understood by those skilled in the art, the screen is provided with suitable registry cross hairs denoting the exact center of the film holder in order that a film may be aligned with the cross hairs and taped in place on the film holder; with the film taped in place the film holder is returned to the photocomposing machine and is accurately positioned thereon by pins received in the sockets 26.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 the photocomposing machine is modified in accordance with this invention by mounting a pair of brackets 31) on the photocomposing machine and by mounting a pair of pins 32 and 33 on each of the lower corners of the film holder positioned to cooperate with the brackets 311 to permit the film holder 16 to be supported by the photocomposing machine alternately in horizontal and vertical positions and to permit the film holder 16 to be removed from the photocomposing machine so that it may be employed in accordance with the prior art method of operation for which the machine was initially designed. Thus, each of the brackets is provided with an elongated interior slot 34 therein into which the pins 32 may be inserted through vertical slots 36; the film holder 16 may be removed from the photocomposing machine by rotataing it to its vertical position, sliding the lower set of pins 33 away from the machine, and lifting the film holder vertically to remove the lower set of pins 33 through the vertical slots 36.

It is desirable not to remove the film holder 16 from the photocomposing machine when employing the method of this invention, and accordingly the film holder 16 is customarily rotated between the alternate positions illustrated in FIG. 2, the solid line position being the position in which films (including transparencies and any mounting fiaps thereon) are mounted on and dismounted from the machine, and the vertical position being the position in which the film holder supports a film when a photosensitive sheet is being exposed.

Many of the details of the construction of the photocomposing machine and the film holder are not described in detail herein since they are well understood by the art.

In accordance with the present invention, the face 38 of the film holder on which films are to be mounted is provided with two pairs of sockets 4t) and 42 with the sockets of each pair spaced opposite each other on opposite sides of the fiat face 38 of the film holder 16. As best illustrated in FIG. 3, each of the sockets 4t) and 42 is formed by a cylindrical bore 44 in a socket pin 46, the socket pins 46 being accurately positioned in bores 48 in the film holder by means of positioning brackets 56 (see FIG. 2) similar to the positioning brackets 28 which are employed to mount the registry pin sockets 26 accurately on the film holder 16. It should be noted that each pair of sockets 40 and 42 contains two sockets of different sizes; thus, the diameter of the sockets 40a and 42a is larger than the diameter of the sockets 40b and 42b. It should be also noted that the sockets of each pair are positioned on the rectangular film holder so that the line connecting the centers of the sockets of each pair is inclined to the sides of the film holder. For instance as illustrated in FIG. 3, the line 52 indicates a central line parallel to two sides of the film holder 16, and it is seen that the bore 44 of socket 42a lies to the left of the line 52 whereas the bore 44 in socket 42b lies to the right of line 52.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 a pair of film registry pins 54 are provided for insertion in the sockets 40 or sockets 42 depending on whether vertical or horizontal orientation of the film in the film holder is desired. The registry pin 54a is shaped for insertion in the bores 44 of sockets dfia or 42a, and the pin 54b is shaped for insertion in the bores 44 of the sockets 40b and 42b. Both of the registry pins 54 are cylindrical in shape and are provided with flanges 56 on one end thereof (see FIG. 2) to facilitate retaining a film on the face 38 of the film holder 16.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, a transparency 58 is mounted on the film holder 16 for exposure of a photosensitive sheet through the transparency 58. A pair of backing flaps 60 are attached to opposite edges of the transparency 58 by means of strips of tape 61, and a pair of registry apertures 62 and 64 (illustrated in FIG. 6) are provided in the backing flaps 60. As will appear hereinafter in connection with FIGS. 4-7, the tape 61 is attached to the transparency 5S and fiaps 60 so as to support the transparency 5S permanently in a predetermined orientation with respect to the registry apertures 62 and 64. The aperture 62 is the exact size of the shank of registry pin 54a, and the aperture 64 is the exact size of the shank of registry pin 54:). The transparency 58 including flaps 61B is mounted on the film holder 16 by placing it on the flat face 33 of the film holder 16 with the apertures 62 and 64 in alignment with the sockets of one of the pairs 46 and 4-2. The transparency is then held in place on the film holder 16 by insertion of the pins 54 through the apertures 62 and 64 into the sockets 4t and 42. With the transparency held in place on the film holder 16, suitable light impervious masking is placed around the center part of the film. When the film has a standard size such as the size of a postcard, the masking is conveniently a large sheet of opaque material having a standard size aperture therein. The masking sheet may:

also be provided with registry apertures 62 and 64 therein for mounting on the pins 54.

It will thus be seen that the accuracy of photocomposing operations performed in this'manner is dependent upon the accuracy with which the transparency 58 is ori entated with respect to the apertures 62 and 64. in the method of operating the photocomposing machine of this invention, the step of providing registry apertures in the film is performed by providing a continuous film backing sheet, providing a plurality of registry apertures in the backing sheet arranged in a predetermined orientation, positioning a transparency on said backing sheet oriented with respect to said apertures, attaching said transparency to said backing sheet, and removing a portion of the backing sheet in the area where it overlies the transparency to make a composite film 59 including the transparency and flaps.

This method of orientating the transparency 5% with respect to the apertures 62 and er is performed with great ease and dependable accuracy by a series of steps outlined in FIGS. 4 to '7; a pair of apertures 62 and 64 are first properly oriented in a continuous backing sheet 6% (see FIG. 4) thereby insuring exact orientation of the apertures 62 and 64 with respect to each other prior to orientation of the transparency 58 with respect to the apertures 62 and 64.

This accurate orientation between the apertures 62 and 64 is insured by stamping the apertures in the backing sheet 6th: simultaneously with a very accurate multi-hole punch.

While many suitable multi-hole punches could be constructed with sufficient accuracy for the purposes of this invention, we have found that the multi-hole punch illustrated in FlG. 7 is particularly well suited to forming the registry apertures in the backing sheet fitia in accordance with this invention.

In the multi-hole punch illustrated in FIG. 7 a pair of spaced apart frames 66 is mounted on a platform 63, and a pair of axles '70 are journaled in the frames 66 each carrying pinion gears '72 which cooperate with horizontally slidable racks '74 which are interconnected by a shaft 75 to insure that the axles 7t rotate in coincidence. The axles 70 also carry internal pinion gears, not shown, which cooperate with a pair of vertical square racks '76 on the tops of which are mounted rigid arms 7%. Two punch pins 30 and 82 are rigidly mounted on the arms 73 depending therefrom and passing through vertical bores in a cross brace 84 to cooperate with aligned punched bores, not shown, formed in a base plate 86 in alignment with the punch pins 89 and 82. An operating handle 88 is mounted on one of the axles 'Ytl to reciprocate the punch pins 80 and 82, and a helical spring 9 is wound around each of the punch pins 89 and 82 bearing against the cross brace 84 and the arms 78 to urge the punch pins to an upward position. The punch pin 86 has thesame diameter as registry pin 54a in FIG. 3, and the punch pin 82 has the same diameter as the registry pin 54b in FIG. 3; It should be noted that the shoulder 91 on the right-hand frame 66 is in alignment with the left-hand rack 74 and that the lower surfaces of the shoulder 91 and the left-hand rack '74 contact the top face of the platform 63 thereby providing aligned stop means for contacting the side of a backing sheet 6% and thus positioning the backing sheet when it is punched.

It should be noted that it is convenient to construct an accurate multi-hole punch as illustrated in FIG. 7 and utilize this accurate punch in positioning the socket members 46 in the film holder 16 thus, a backing sheet (via may be provided with properly oriented apertures 62 and 64 therein; the backing sheet is placed on the film holder and the alignment pins 54a and 54b inserted through the apertures 62 and 64 into the sockets of one of the pairs 49 M42. The socket clamps 5d (see FIG. 2) are then adjusted to properly space the sockets so that the pins 54 will maintain the backing strip 6% in a perfectly flat condition on the film holder 16. The backing strip 60a employed for this purpose may be provided with suitable cross hairs or other indicia to properly orient the pins 554 with respect to the exact center of the face of the film holder with the film holder mounted on the registry device employed by the prior art. Barring unusual accidents, the sockets 4t) and 42 seldom need adjustment after this initial alignment.

FIGS. 4 to 6 illustrate the method and apparatus'by which the transparency 58 is orientated with respect to the apertures 62 and 64 and when soorientated attached to the backing strip 60a. In this method, the backing sheet dtia is first placed on a registry member 92 which carries registry pins 94 and 96. The registry pins 94 and 96 are provided with flanges 98 on one end thereof, and these pins extend through apertures 100 in the'registry member 92. The diameter of pin 94 is substantially equal to the diameter of the aperture 62, and the diameter of the pin 96 substantially equal to the diameter of the aperture 64. The apertures 10% in the registry member 92 are shaped and orientated exactly as the apertures 62 and 64 in the backing sheet 6%. The registry'member 92 is preferably made of a translucent plastic sheet material which may be readily used on the surface of a desk and preferably upon a desk having an illuminated top. The registry member 92 is provided with a pair of cross hairs M2 and M 3 which are oriented with respect to the pins 94 and 96 in the same manner as the perpendicular bisectors of the sides of the film holder 16 are oriented with respect to the film registry sockets 40a and 40b. The registry'member 92 is also provided with a set of concentric rectangles 164, 1%, and 108 which are marked on the surface of registry member 92 with their sides perpendicular to and bisected by the cross hairs 102 and 103.

The registry ind-icia comprising the cross-hairs 102 and 1&3 and the rectangles 1&4 to 108 are employed to orient the transparency 58 with respect to the'pins 94 and 96 in the same manner as it is desirable for the transparency 58 to be oriented on the flat surface 38 of film holder 15 with respect to the registry pins 5 4a and 5412 received in one of the pairs of socket 40 or 42. Thus, when the backing sheet title is positioned on the registry member 92, the transparency 58 may be oriented thereon by aligning conventional cross hairs on the edges of transparency 58 with the cross hairs 102 and 103. In addition, the transparency 58 may be oriented by reference to the rectangles 104 to 108 instead of the cross hairs 102- 1&3; rectangles 104 to 198 are conveniently the size of standard photographic prints so that the positioning of transparency 58 over one of the rectangles 104 to 108 indicates the portion of the transparency 58 which would be positioned on the film holder 16 for production of a picture corresponding to that portion of the transparency 58 lying inside the particular rectangle. Thus, when employing rectangles 104 to1ti8 for registering the transparency 58, free selection may be made of that portion of the transparency 58 which is to be reproduced; this free selection therefor permits the straightening of a skewed picture and the proper proportioning of the amount of foreground and background to be reproduced in the picture. When the transparency 58 is thus properly oriented on the backing sheet 6901 with respect to the cross hairs 162 and 163 or the rectangles 104 to'108, the transparency 58 is attached to the backing sheet 60a by means of strips of adhesive tape 61.

With the transparency 58 attached to the backing sheet dtla, the backing'sheet 6th: is removed from the registry member, and the center portion of the backing sheet 60:: which overlies the transparency 58 is cut away as illustrated in FIG. 6 so that the two ends of the backing sheet duo become the backing flaps 69 illustrated in FIG. 3. The inner edges of the backing flaps 60 are then taped to the transparency 58 by means of tape strips which cooperate with the tape strips 61 to make a rigid unit of the transparency 58 and its attached backing fiap oil. The center portion of the backing strip 65. is preferably removed as described above in order that dirt particles will not be trapped between the backing sheet and the transparency and in order that light absorption by the backing sheet tla will not be a factor in the photocomposing operation.

It should be noted that in the operation of a photocomposing machine a plurality of similar films are employed for the composition of a single picture, one film being employed to reproduce each of the colors, red, yellow, blue and black. It is for this reason that exact registry of the films is necessary to insure that the single picture produced from the four films will be an accurate composite of the four.

In the method of registering films according to this invention, the above operating procedure is followed in registering the first film and if the registry has been accomplished by conventional cross hairs on the border of the transparency 58, the same procedure may be utilized for registering the other three films of the group, that is, all four films of the group would be registered with respect to the cross hairs on the registry membe However, when it is desirable to register the films with respect to the rectangles lltl i and 1% instead of the cross hairs 102 and 1%, the second, third and fourth film to be registered are registered directly to the first film instead of to the registry member 92 thereby permitting exact registry of the four films while still permitting free selec tion of the orientation of the transparency 58 with respect to the cross hairs 192 and lid?) and hence free selection of the orientation between the transparency and the center lines of the film holder 16. When the second, third and fourth films are to be registered with respect to the first film instead of with respect to the registry member 92, the procedure is carried out exactly as described above eXcept that the first film to be registered is substituted for the registry member 92. The pins 94 and )6 are inserted through the apertures 62. and in the first film which has been registered and a new backing sheet oila is then placed upon the registry pins and $5; the second film to be registered is then placed above the first and the detail images of the two films aligned with each other. The second film is then attached to the second backing strip in the manner described above and the third and fourth films are then registered with respect to the first film.

From the above description it may be seen that the method and apparatus of photocomposing is substantially improved and simplified by employing the new apparatus elements and method steps described herein. The above mentioned objects and advantages of the invention are satisfied by the method and apparatus described to a degree heretofore unobtainable with the method and apparatus known to the art.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail herein, substantial changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and cope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a photocomposing apparatus having a main frame adapted to support a photosensitive sheet to be exposed, a generally rectangular film holder mountable on said frame and having a generally fiat face thereof adjacent to said sheet and adapted to support a film through which said sheet is to be exposed, and means for adjustably positioning said sheet and said film holder with respect to each other, the improved means for accurately positioning a film in said film holder comprising: a plurality of sockets in said face of said film holder arranged in a predetermined orientation with two of said sockets having different shapes and being positioned so that the line connecting their centers is inclined to the rectangular sides of said film holder, 21 pin removably mountable in each of said sockets and provided with a flange on one end thereof, a multi-hole punch adapted to punch a set of apertures shaped and arranged in the same manner as said predetermined orientation of sockets, and a film registry member carrying a plurality of registry pins arranged in said predetermined orientation and provided with registry indicia having the same relationship to said pins thereon as the center of said film holder has to said sockets whereby when a film backing sheet may be punched with said multi-hole punch and placed on said registry member and a film attached to said backing sheet in alignment with said indicia and when said backing sheet is then placed on said film holder with said pins extending through apertures in said backing sheet and into said sockets, said film will be centered on said face of said film holder.

2. In the method of operating a photocomposing machine in which a photosensitive sheet is supported by a frame; a film holder is mountable on said frame and provided with a generally fiat face thereof adjacent to said sheet, and means are provided for adjustably positioning said sheet and film holder with respect to each other, the improved method of positioning a film in said film holder which comprises: providing a plurality of pins carried by said face of said film holder and positioned accurately in a predetermined orientation, forming a plurality of registry apertures in said film accurately positioned in the same predetermined orientation, and placing said film on said face of said film holder with said pins received in said apertures the step of forming a plurality of registry apertures in said film being performed by providing a film backing sheet, providing said apertures in said backing sheet arranged in said predetermined orientation, attaching said film to said backing sheet between said apertures and positioned with respect to said apertures in the same relation as it is desirable to position said film on said film holder with respect to said pins, and removing a portion of said backing sheet in the area in which it overlies said film to sever the backing sheet into two flaps attached to opposite ends of said film.

in the method of operating a photocomposing machine in which a photosensitive sheet is supported by a frame; a generally rectangular film holder is mountable on said frame and provided with a generally flat face thereof adjacent to said sheet, and means are provided for adjustably positioning said sheet and said film holder with respect to each other, the improved method of positioning a film in said film holder which comprises providing a plurality of sockets in the face of said film holder arranged in a predetermined orientation with two of said sockets having different shapes and being positioned so that the line connecting their centers is inclined to the rectangular sides of said film holder, providing a pin removably mountable in each of said sockets with a flange on one end thereof, providing a multi-hole punch adapted to punch a set of apertures shaped and arranged in the same manner as said predetermined orientation of sockets, providing a film registry member with a plurality of registry pins shaped and arranged in the same manner as said predetermined orientation of sockets and provided with registry indicia having the same relationship to said pins thereon as the center of said film holder has to said sockets, punching a backing sheet with said multi-hole punch to provide a set of apertures therein, placing said punched backing sheet on said registry member with the pins on said registry member received in said apertures, placing a film on said backing sheet with the center thereof aligned with said indicia, taping said film to said backing sheet, removing said backing sheet from said registry member and removing a portion of said backing sheet in the area where it overlies said film to sever said backing sheet into two flaps attached to opposite ends of said film, placing said film and backing sheet on said face of said film holder with the apertures in said backing sheet in alignment with said sockets, and inserting said! flanged pins through said apertures into said sockets.

3-. The method of providing registry apertures in a film which comprises providing a filmvbacking sheet, providing a plurality of registry apertures in said backing sheet arranged in a predetermined orientation, positioning a film on said backing sheet oriented with respect to said apertures and with said film uncovering said apertures, attaching said film to said backing sheet, and thereafter removing a portion of saidbacking sheet'in the area in which it overlies said film with said portions of said backing sheet extending completely thereaeross between said apertures to sever said backing sheet into two flaps attached to different areas of said film.

5. The method of providing registry apertures at the opposite edges of a film which comprises providing a backing shet which is larger than the film, forming registry apertures in said backing sheet in a predetermined orientation spaced apart by a distance exceeding the distance between said opposite edges of said film, positioning said film on said backing sheet between said apertures and oriented with respect to said apertures, taping said edges of said film to said backing sheet thereafter, removing the central portion of said backing sheet in the area in which it overlies said film thereby dividing said backing sheet into two flaps and flaps forming interior edges of said flaps which are adjacent to said film, and taping said interior edges of said flaps to said film.

6. In a photocomposing machine having a frame adapted to support a photosensitive sheet to be exposed, a film holder mounted on said frame and having a generally flat face thereof adjacent to said sheet and adapted to support a film through which said sheet is to be exposed, and means for adjustably positioning said sheet and said film holder with respect to each other, the improved means for accurately positioning a film in said film holder comprising a generally rectangular face portion of said film holder, and a pair of pins carried by said film holder in said face portion thereof with said pins having different shapes and positioned With a line connecting their centers non-coincident with either of the perpendicular bisectors of the sides of said rectangular face portion and with said pins positioned to receive a similarly oriented plurality of apertures in a film while supporting said film in substantially fiat condition on said face portion.

' References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,099,364 11/37 Hunter 33-1845 2,129,768 9/38 Huebner -76 2,688,194 9/54 Jordan 33-1845 2,825,976 3/58 Radencic 33184.5 2,871,572 2/59 Gutzmer 33-184.5 2,886,894 5/59 Gutzmer 33-1845 ISAAC LISANN, Primary Examiner. ROBERT EVANS, Examiner. 

1. IN A PHOTOCOMPOSING APPARATUS HAVING A MAIN FRAME ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A PHOTOSENSITIVE SHEET TO BE EXPOSED, A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR FILM HOLDER MOUNTABLE ON SAID FRAME AND HAVING A GENERALLY FLAT FACE THEREOF ADJACENT TO SAID SHEET AND ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A FILM THROUGH WHICH SAID SHEET IS TO BE EXPOSED, AND MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY POSITIONING SAID SHEET AND SAID FILM HOLDER WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, THE IMPROVED MEANS FOR ACCURATELY POSITIONING A FILM IN SAID FILM HOLDER COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF SOCKETS IN SAID FACE OF SAID FILM HOLDER ARRANGED IN A PREDETERMINED ORIENTATION WITH TWO OF SAID SOCKETS HAVING DIFFERENT SHAPES AND BEING POSITIONED SO THAT THE LINE CONNECTING THEIR CENTERS IS INCLINED TO THE RECTANGULAR SIDES OF SAID FILM HOLDER, A PIN REMOVABLY MOUNTABLE IN EACH OF SAID SOCKETS AND PROVIDED WITH A FLANGE ON ONE END THEREOF, A MULTI-HOLE PUNCH ADAPTED TO PUNCH A SET OF APERTURES SHAPED AND ARRANGED IN THE SAME MANNER AS SAID PREDETERMINED ORIENTATION OF SOCKETS, AND A FILM REGISTRY MEMBER CARRYING A PLURALITY OF REGISTRY PINS ARRANGED IN SAID PREDETERMINED ORIENTATION AND PROVIDED WITH REGISTRY INDICIA HAVING THE SAME RELATIONSHIP TO SAID PINS THEREON AS THE CENTER OF SAID FILM HOLDER HAS TO SAID SOCKETS WHEREBY WHEN A FILM BACKING SHEET MAY BE PUNCHED WITH SAID MULT-HOLE PUNCH AND PLACED ON SAID REGISTRY MEMBER AND A FILM ATTACHED TO SAID BACKING SHEET IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID INDICIA AND WHEN SAID BACKING SHEET IS THEN PLACED ON SAID FILM HOLDER WITH SAID PINS EXTENDING THROUGH APERTURES IN SAID BACKING SHEET AND INTO SAID SOCKETS, SAID FILM WILL BE CENTERED ON SAID FACE OF SAID FILM HOLDER. 